Reviews

Aux Cinq Rues, Lima by Mario Vargas Llosa

laviskrg's review against another edition

1.0

I wanted to be generous and give this book 2 or even round 2.5 stars to 3 only for the chapters about Shorty and the sad sclerotic man but fuck, I cannot do this. This book contains absolutely the lamest sex scenes I have ever read in my life. I have read and written better smut at 15 and this is not a "my 3 year old can create modern art" kind of rant. I adore Mario Vargas Llosa. He writes sublime literature. He writes amazing violence, glorious sex and perfect political text. This shit reads like a vulgar soap opera written by a teenager who has never actually had sex and whose fantasies and ability to reproduce them are sophomoric at best. Deeply disappointed. If I had managed to finish this minuscule yet extremely boring trash novel a bit earlier, I would have abandoned it in either Oslo or Munich. Now I am stuck with it.

chiara029's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

aralluck's review against another edition

tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

notellawilliams's review against another edition

adventurous lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

So bad lol, but loosely enjoyable. how did he win the Nobel prize?? I'm thinking maybe the translation isn't that great, a fun romp, but didn't get a lot else from it but that.

yaredimpp's review against another edition

3.0

Es un libro que se lee en una sentada, es fluido, lamentablemente le tenía expectativas muy altas y me ha decepcionado un poco, siento que pese a lo rápido que se lee, no llega a desarrollar ninguna de las 3 historias de manera íntegra, todo se da muy por encima. Es como si fuera un resumen, no llegas a conectar con nadie. Le faltó mucha profundidad.

elena_gabriela's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

ari76's review against another edition

2.0

This book was my introduction to Mario Vargas Llosa and I'm hoping to be re-introduced with anything other than this. There were snippets of incredible writing and developed characters set in Peruvian society.For example, Juan Piñeta and Shorty were individuals sworth reading about. Sadly, they were lost amongst the confusing plot twists and one of the least believable endings that I've read this year. In addition, the random yet descriptive sex scenes between the two housewives were somewhat gratuitous and the dialogue could easily be the script for amateur porn.

Spoiler

Special shout-out to the last chapter where the twosome-turned-threesome spends too many pages discussing their new sexual reality while casually mentioning all terrorism is over??? What??

I'd also like to read more of his books to further investigate if his choice to write about Marisa, Enrique's wife and a Peruvian woman who is clearly beautiful with constant reference to her body shape and whiteness was deliberate.

maucha's review against another edition

3.0

“-El morbo es el vicio más universal que existe (…). En todos los pueblos y en todas las culturas. Pero, sobre todo, en el Perú. Supongo que usted lo sabe de sobra: somos un país de chismosos. Queremos conocer los secretos de la gente y, de preferencia, los de cama. En otras palabras, y perdón por la lisura, quién cacha con quién y de qué maneras lo hacen. Meter la cabeza en la intimidad de las personas conocidas. De los poderosos, de los famosos, de los importantes. Políticos, empresarios, deportistas, cantantes, etce-tera.”

roisinsreading's review against another edition

dark informative fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.0

cmgreen's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5